Shelf molding



Nov., w, 1957 J. FERDMNAND SHELF MOLDING Filed Maron ;L6 1954vv Y. mmm;@me fm2 2,813,359 Patented Nov. 19,1957

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SHELF MOLDING Jerome Ferdinand, Chicago, Ill., assignor to S. A. HirshIlManufacturing Company, Skokie, Ill., a corporation of linois Thisinvention relates to a shelf and shelf molding structure. The inventionis useful wherever it is desired to equip the peripheral edges of ashelf or like structure with a molding. It has special utility, forexample, in connection with stores wherein the shelves are used forstorage and display and wherein it is desired to provide labels or tagsaligned with the commodities upon the shelves for identifying the brand,price, etc. thereof.

In shelf arrangements as described above, it is customary to equip thestorage and display shelves with moldings that releasably support pricetags which are preferably alignable with the merchandise. A problem hasresulted in providing moldings that can be attached quickly and easilyto the shelves with a minimum of structure so that an economicalassembly results and one that is not encumbered with obstructions thatwould interfere with the free removal and replacement of merchandise onthe shelves. In addition, the wood used for shelving is prone to splitand splinter and care must be taken in driving any support members intothe wood shelf.

It is accordingly an object of `this invention to provide means forovercoming the disadvantages in known shelf` and molding structures.Another object of the invention is to provide shelf molding that can bequickly and easily secured to a shelf or similar structure. Stillanother object is to provide in a shelf and molding structure a moldingstrip having a barbed tongue projecting into and being fn'ctionallygripped by the walls of a groove extending longitudinally along aperipheral `edge of the shelf.

A further object is in providing molding equipped with a tongue havingspaced protuberances extending laterally therefrom that bite into thebody of a wooden shelf when the tongue is driven into a slot or grooveprovided by the `shelf and are therefore operative to anchor the moldingto `the shelf. Yet a further object is ito provide a continuousbarb-equipped tongue having `sloping protuberances projecting laterallytherefrom, the protuberances being `adapted to bite and dig into thewalls of a grooveprovided by a Wooden shelf into which `the tongue isinserted, the sloping protuberances being operative to distributestresses over a relatively wide area `and thereby `prevent shelfsplintering but being very effective to `securely. anchor the tonguewithin the groove and, thereby, the moldingyto the shelf. Additionalobjects and advantages will become apparent as the specificationproceeds.

Embodiments of `the `invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in whichi Fig. l is `a broken perspective View showing a shelfequipped with a molding `strip incorporating the invention; Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional View taken vertically through the shelf and moldingstrip; Fig. 3 is a broken rear view in elevation of a molding stripembodying the invention; and Pig. 4 is a broken transverse sectionalview showing a modified form of molding strip.

In the drawing, a shelf structure is indicated by the numeral 10.Preferably, the shelf is made from wood but, as will be appreciated, itmay be formed of other materials that are suliiciently yieldable so thatthe fibers thereof can be compressed when the` tongue of amolding stripis inserted into an elongated slotor groove 11 which is provided alongthe peripheral edge portion 12 ofthe shelf. For example, the shelf 10Amay be one found in grocery stores and which is used to support anddisplay merchandise thereon.

Secured to the peripheral edge 12 of the shelf `10 is an elongatedmolding strip 13 thatis adapted` to slideably and releasably support atag or` label 14 that is alignable with the merchandise supported uponthe shelf and which provides indicia such` `as the numerals15 whichdesignate the price of the merchandise being displayed. The specificconfiguration of the molding strip 13 may take various forms, and themanner in which `the tag 14 is supported by the strip may also vary.Neither are particularly pertinent insofar as the present invention isconcerned.

Two different forms of` molding strips are shownyin the drawing. Thestrip 13 has a` downwardly- `and outwardly-extending leg 16` terminatingin an upwardlyoriented liange 17. Together the leg 16 and flange 17provide a channel .or recess 18 that receives the lower edge of the tag14. Along its upper edge, the strip 13 has `a forwardlyanddownwardly-turned edge 19 that frictionlly grips an elongated resilientmember 20. The member 20 may be rubber Iand is intended to bepermanently retained within the strip 13. The rubber member or strip 20engages the upper edge of the tag 14 and the frictional engagementbetween the member and the edge ofthe tag prevents inadvertent movementof the tag longitudinally along the molding strip.

In Fig. 4, a modied form of molding strip is shown and is designatedwith .the numeral13. The molding strip 13' has a downwardlyandoutwardly-extending leg 21 terminating in an upwardly-oriented tip 22that 4provides a groove 23 that receives the lower edge of a tag 14.Adjacent its upper edge, the strip. 13' has an outwardlyturned angeportion 24 that is turned downwardly and provides "a groove 2.5 that`receives the upper edge of the tag 14'. It is noted that both forms `ofthe molding strip at the upper end thereof provide a rearwardly-turnedportion that tightly abuts the upper surface of the shelf and which alsohas a slight curvature and merges gradually into the surface of theshelf. Through this construction there is little danger that the moldingstrip will be driven from place upon the shelf by the removal ofmerchandise from the shelf.

4The molding strip 13 is equipped with an outwardlyextending tongue 26that is equipped `adjacent the outer end thereof with a pair of barbs'27 and 28; As is shown clearly in Fig. 2 the tongue 26 extends into the`groove 11 provided by the shelf, `and when in such position the moldingstrip 13 tightly abuts the peripheral edge 12 of the shelf. Similarly,the strip 13" is equipped with a tongue 26 having barbs 27 and 28'thereon. The tongue 26 also extends into the groove 11 provided by ashelf 10.

In both embodiments of ythe invention the barbs extend laterally fromthe tongue and `proect both upwardly and downwardly therefrom. Thebarbs, ofcourse, Aare operative to resist movement of the molding stripoutwardly from `theshelf to which it is attached. Unfortunately,however, the barbs have not-provided adequate resistive force so as toprevent, after periods `ofgusze, inadvertent loosening of the moldingstrip from the shel-f and eventually complete removal therefrom. It hasbeen considf ered that the barbs could be increased dimensionally so asto provide a greater biting action into the walls 29 and 30 that definethe groove 11. The material from which the shelves are made, however, isquite prone to split and splinter and this alteration in structure hasnot provided a satisfactory answer to the problem of molding removal,etc. from the shelves.

I have discovered, however, that if the barbed tongue is provided atspaced points with laterally-extending protuberances 31, as is indicatedbest in Fig. 3 and which are also shown in Figs. 2 and 4 by the dottedlines, the molding strips can be rmly and quite permanently anchored inposition upon the shelves and without the shelves Splitting orsplintering while the tongues of the molding strips are driven into thegrooves. Preferably, the protuberances 31 have sloping wall portions 32,as is shown in Fig. 3. It has been found that by providing these slopingor tapering protuberances the stresses created within the walls of thegroove 11 are distributed 'throughout a relatively wide area and themagnitude of the stresses varies from point to point along the Walls ofthe groove. This stress distribution is operative to permit insertion ofthe tongues into the grooves without the walls thereof becoming splitwhile the tongues are being inserted. The structure then that results isthat of an elongated molding strip that is anchored throughoutsubstantially its entire length by an elongated barbed tongue to a shelfand at spaced points the anchoring force is considerably increasedthrough the laterally-extending protuberances. While the anchoring forceis quite high at the protuberances, yet the spreading of the anchoringstresses over a relatively wide area prevents the shelf from beingsplintered when the molding strip is anchored thereto.

While in the drawing the protuberances 31 are shown extending upwardlyfrom the longitudinal line of the groove 11, it will be apparent thatthe protuberances might extend downwardly or they might alternate andone extend upwardly while the next extends downwardly, and so on.

While in the foregoing specification an embodiment of the invention hasbeen described in considerable detail for purposes of illustration, itwill be aparent to those skilled in the art that considerable change inthese details may be made without departing from the spirit andprinciples of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the character described, a shelf provided with agroove in a peripheral edge thereof, and a molding strip equipped with atongue extending into said groove, said tongue being offset at spacedpoints from the main portion thereof to a width slightly greater thanthe width of said groove to dene localized pressure points adapted toanchor said molding strip to said shelf.

2. In combination with a shelf formed of yieldable material and havingan elongated groove in a peripheral edge thereof, a molding stripadapted to support indicia tags thereon and having an elongated tongueprojecting outwardly therefrom end extending into said groove, saidtongue being supported with laterally projecting barbs extending thelength of the strip that engage the walls of said groove, said tonguebeing oifset at spaced points from the main portion thereof to providelocalized pressure points at which the barbs bite into the wall of thegroove and thereby anchor said molding strip to said shelf.

3. In combination with a shelf formed of yieldable material and havingan elongated groove along a peripheral edge thereof, a molding stripequipped with a tongue extending into said groove, said tongue beingequipped with spaced-apart, laterally-extending protuberances olset fromthe main portion of the tongue to engage the walls of said groove underspaced localized points of pressure and anchor said tongue within saidgroove.

4. In combination with a wooden shelf provided with an elongated groovein a peripheral edge thereof, a molding strip adapted to support tagsand having'an edge portion engaging the top of the wooden shelf andspaced therefrom an elongated tongue projecting outwardly therefromreceived in said groove, said tongue being equipped withlongitudinally-extending ribs forming barbs, said tongue also beingprovided with longitudinally-spaced laterally-extending protuberancesoperative to bite into the walls of said groove on the side adjacentsaid edge portion and anchor said tongue therein.

5. In a wooden shelf and molding strip structure, a shelf having aperipheral edge provided with an elongated groove extendinglongitudinally thereof, and a molding strip adapted to support indiciatags thereon and being equipped with an outwardlyextending tongueprojecting into said groove, said tongue being elongated and equippedwith barbs, said tongue providing also a plurality of spaced-apart,laterallyextending protuberances, said protuberances having slopingwalls whereby the force of engagement with the walls of said groovevaries from point to point therealong.

6. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a shelf structure,comprising an elongated molding strip adapted to receive and supportindicia tags thereon and being equipped wih a shoulder along its upperedge to engage the top edge of a shelf and an outwardly-extendingtongue, said tongue being provided with spaced-apart barbs offsetlaterally at spaced points to provide protuberances to be inserted intoan elongated groove provided in a shelf, said tongue having a pluralityof spaced-apart, laterally extending protuberances having a graduallyvarying height whereby to distribute the stresses along the walls ofsaid groove throughout a relatively wide area and to afford variation ofthe magnitude of the stresses from point to point along the walls of thegroove.

7. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a shelf structure,comprising an elongated molding strip adapted to receive and supportindicia tags thereon and being equipped with a shoulder along its upperedge to engage the top edge of a shelf and an outwardly-extendingtongue, said tongue being provided with spaced-apart barbs offsetlaterally at spaced points to provide protuberances to be inserted intoan elongated groove provided in a shelf, said tongue being provided witha plurality of spaced-apart, laterally-extending protuberancesprojecting beyond the normal line of the barbs with which said tongue isequipped.

8. A molding strip adapted to be secured to a shelf structure,comprising an elongated molding strip adapted to receive and supportindicia tags thereon and being equipped with a shoulder along its upperedge to engage the top edge of a shelf and an outwardly-extendingtongue, said tongue being provided with spaced-apart barbs offsetlaterally at spaced points to provide protuberances to be inserted intoan elongated groove provided in a shelf, said tongue being provided witha pluj rality of spaced-apart, laterally-extending protuberancesprojecting beyond the normal line of the barbs with which said tongue isequipped, and in which said protuberances have sloping walls.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

